Folding table



H. F. HAVENS, SR. FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1919. 1 5539 389. Patented May 11,1920.

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FOLDING TABLE. v APPLICATION FILED MAYZZ, I9I9- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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To. all whom it may concern,-

HENRY F. HAVENS, $3., 01 HUDS N FALLS, NEW YORK.

FOLDING TABLE.

Be it known that I, HENRY F. Havnns, Sn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hudson Falls,in the county of Washington. and State of New. York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use'the same. 7

This invention relates to folding tables.

I One object of the invention is to. provide an improved spring means for swinging two opposite legs of the table to the position for supporting the table leaves when permitted to do so by the raising of the leaves to horizontal position.

Another'object of the invention is to provide an improved two-piece strut or legbrace which effects a reduction in the cost of manufacture and permits the table to be disassembled, when repairs are necessary without detrimentally affecting any part of the table.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to personslwho readthe following details of description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which 2 Figure 1 is. an end elevation of the table in its useful orextended position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevationv of the table in its collapsed or folded position;

-Fig. 3 is a bottomplan view.

Fig. 4 is a central vertical sectional view showing the leaves extended and supported ly the pivotally mounted leafesupporting .rame.

Fig. 5 isa horizontal sectional view substantially along the line 5.,.5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a i the line 6-16. of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspectve view illustrating .the component members of oneof the leghraces or struts, these component parts being slightly separated so as to respective outlines and their relation, to one another.

Referring to these drawings 'inxdetail, in which 1 similar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, and in which the table top may be of ordinary. construction, comprising a central stationary portion 8 towhich leaves 9 are hingedat 1Q:

My invention consists in the special and Specification of Letters Patent.

horizontal sectional view. along fully disclose their the screws 24, turning Patented May 11, 1920.

'1 fl Application filed May 22, 1919. Serial No. 299,053.

novel'form of pivotal connection and spring unfolding means which will now be described. in detail.

The table top portion 8 is united with a stationary frame 11 which comprises legs 12, an upper strut 13 and a lower strut 14, the latter being preferably of the two-piece construction illustrated separately in Fig. 7, it being understood that the strut 18 may also be of. the two-piece construction instead of the one-piece construction disclosed in the drawings. The leaf-supporting frame 15 also comprises legs 12, the upper strut 16 of this frame being complemental to the upper strut 13 of the frame 11, and the lower strut 17 of this; frame being complemental to the lower strut 14 of the stationary frame 11.

That is, the intermediate portions of the struts are cut away above and below, respectively, while their end portions are reduced in thickness, so that when pivotally connected at their centers, they may be folded in such relation that the legs .12 may be brought in pairs, as illustrated in into juxtaposition,

offolding a table is Fig. 2. This manner not claimed as being new,

stood by persons familiar with the art, without further explanation. However, a novel trically with the pivotal connection of the frames 11 and 15. A slotted plate 21 is se- -cured to the lower strut 14, and the lower end and will be underof the flat torsional spring or bar 20 is nonrotatably seated in'the slot of the plate 21, or mother words, the lower end of the spring 20 is normally fixed with relation to the leaf-supporting-frame A slotted plate or disk 22 is normally frame 15, and the upper end of the spring 20 i is non-rotatably seated in the slot of the disk 22. 'However,arcuate slots23 may be provided in the disk 22, and screws 24 extend through these slots intozthe upper strut 13 and secure the disk 22in any position'to which it may be adjusted, it being understood that adjustment may be made by loosening the disk 22 until the fixed to the stationary spring 20 is tensioned, as .desired and then while closing the aperture 25. When it is de that each section 14 structed separately and sired to change the tension of the spring 20,

the plate 26 may be removed, and any appro- 10 priate tool or other means may be employed to engage with the upper end of the spring 20 or with the plate 22 for turning the latter. For the purpose of guarding the spring 20, and for holding the frames 11 and 15 in proper relation to one another when the table top is detached, a tube 27 may have its upper end embedded in and abutting against the upper strut 13 of the stationary frame, while its lower end is embedded in and abuts against the lower strut 17 of the pivotally mounted frame. It will be seen that the tube 27 cooperates with the pivot elements 8 and 9 for holding the top-supporting frames in pivotal connection with'one an other when the table top is removed, it being understood that 'screws or other securing means (not shown) may be employed for removably securing the top to the stationary frame.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the spring 20 may be adjusted to either fold or unfold the top supporting frames, and it will probably'be'usually preferable to ad just the spring so that it will unfold the supporting frames when allowed to do so by extending the leaves 9 from the folded position shown in Fig. 2 to the unfolded position shown in Fig. 1. Stops or abutments 28 may be provided on the leaves 9 to limit the opening or unfolding movement of the pivoted frame 17 so that it stands substantially at right angles tothe stationary frame;

In order that the frames may be con- ,afterward interlinked with one another, as illustrated in the drawings, and in order that time, labor and material may be saved in the manufacture of the two-piece struts shown in Fig. '7, each half or separate section of such strut is formed separately and afterward separably secured together by means of screws or bolts, as indicated at 29. It will be seen (for instance) of the strut 14, is of counterpart construction, and therefore, separate patterns and forming means are unnecessary for the elements 14.

Moreover, each section of the strut 17 is of counterpart construction, and the only diffe'rence'betweenthe struts 14 and '17 is the 7 difference in size and shape of their central apertures which receive the tubular elements 19 and 27. 'It will be seen, therefore, that substantially the same pattern and forming devices may beeused for bothof exact details of construction and arrange ment, but changes may be made withln thescope of the inventive idea as claimed herein.

What I claim asvmy invention is 1. The combination in a table, of a top described and portion, a leaf hinged thereto, a top-supporting frame under said topportion a leafsupporting frame movably secured'to the said top-supporting frame by an axiallyvertical pivotal connection, and a-torsional spring alined with the axis of said pivot and having its ends secured respectivelyto said top-supporting frame and said leafsupporting frame. I

2. The combination with a table 'comprising hinged leaves and a pivotally mounted leaf-supporting frame, of a torsional spring,

means at the pivotal connection of said frame to non-turnably secure one end of said spring to said frame, and means at said' pivotal connection for securing the other end of said spring in normally non-turnable relation to said leaves butin such adjustable relation that the tension of said he changed at willfof the user.

3. The combination hinged leaves and a leaf-supporting frame, of tubular pivot elements on which said frame is swingable into and out oftheleafsupporting position, and a torsional'spring spring may in a table comprising extending through said tubular pivot ele ments and having one end normally fixed with relation to said leaves, the other end of said spring being relation to'said' leaf-supporting frame.

4. The combination a central top portion, leaves hinged thereto, a stationary supporting frame, and a pivoted leaf-supporting frame, each of said frames comprising upper and lower struts,

normally fixedwith r in a table comprising of a vertical tube having'its upper-end embedded in the upper strut of said stationary frame while its lower endis embedded in the lower strut of the pivoted frame, and,

a torsional spring extending through said tube and having its upper end'normally 'fixed to said stationaryframe, itslower end being normally'fixed to said pivoted frame. 5. In a table-leaf 'supportingframe, the combination of a pair of legs, and a pair of spaced struts, one of said struts comprising a pair of strut-forming members of substantially counterpart construction, each of frame, in the relation shown, after the legs said strut forming members having its outer are permanently united with the struts, subend united with one of said legs the inner stantially as described. 10 end portions of said strut-forming members In testimony whereof I have hereunto set being interlapped with one another and rigmy hand.

idly but separably secured together, so that this frame can be assembled with a similar HENRY F. HAVENS, SR. 

